Overview

An authoritative reference to 300 types of ancient and modern ornamental stone. For professional decorators, architects, landscape designers and masonry contractors, this is a comprehensive guide to the identification of decorative stone used in exterior and interior construction, architectural adornment, in-lays and artifacts. For art historians, curators, conservators, archaeologists, surveyors, engineers, jewelers and sculptors, this book will be an excellent reference. Organized by geological type, the book provides comprehensive coverage of 300 types of decorative stone, from the most common to the exquisitely rare. Large, sharp, color photographs accompany descriptions of where the stones are quarried, how they are related and how they differ in structure and appearance. There is information on: Appearance Provenance and availability Grain Geological description Structural features Hardness and durability Size and price Major uses. Practical uses are discussed, and historical and cultural details add context. For example, bowenite, often called new jade, is the state mineral of Rhode Island, where it is actively quarried. Full color illustrations, thorough descriptions and practical information combine to make The Sourcebook of Decorative Stone the definitive reference on this topic.

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9781554072545

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Reviews

Monica T. Price has done the Earth science collector community a wonderful service.... I highly recommend the book. -- Daniel Hall, geologist Rocks & Minerals Journal (07/01/2008)

Other art books will give you more large photos of stone-embellished cathedrals and palaces, but no book I know of will teach you more about how these cultural treasures came to be: the raw materials, their sources and working techniques, history and lore, and how building and decorating with stone flourished and waned, but now enjoys a bit of a rebirth, via the use of polished stone slabs in home kitchens and bathrooms. Perhaps now as societies go green and examine the carbon footprint of all our building materials, the time is right for a return to building with beautiful stone, inside and out! If so, this is the guidebook we need.--Robert Crabill Mineralog (07/01/2008)

Author Information

Monica Price is a geologist and science historian on the curatorial staff of the Oxford University Museum of Natural History. She has contributed to reference works and journals, and recently co-authored Pocket Nature: Rocks and Minerals.

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